DE 36 22 991 A1 describes a circuit that is usable with battery-operated appliances for indicating a discharge state of a battery. The circuit includes a series connection of a battery, a throttle and a collector-emitter segment of a transistor. A light-emitting diode is in parallel with the collector-emitter segment of the transistor. If a voltage of the battery is lower than a certain reference level, a base of the transistor is triggered periodically so the transistor is alternately conducting and blocking current flow and therefore a pulsating current flows through the throttle. A clock pulse of the current flow is determined by an RC member. On blockage of the transistor, a voltage which is added to the battery voltage is induced in the throttle, so a forward voltage of the light-emitting diode is reached and the diode lights up.